So we looked all around in a hurry, but we couldn’t find it anywhere. The key-bar is what you open the bridge with, you know. It’s kind of like a crow-bar and you stick it in a certain place and walk around pushing it. It isn’t so hard when you get started on account of the bridge being balanced right and it’s geared up, too. But what’s the use if you can’t find the key-bar?
“It must be somewheres around,” Westy said, all excited.
Oh, didn’t we turn things inside out! But it wasn’t any use—we couldn’t find it.
“Don’t let’s bother,” I said, “I’ve got an idea; come ahead—quick!”
I didn’t even stop to tell him what I was thinking about, but I hustled back into the boat, with Pee-wee after us, wanting to know what we found inside.
“A couple of mysteries,” I panted out.
“How many?” he wanted to know.
“And a couple of ghosts thrown in,” I said. “Hurry up.”
On the way across I told the fellows to please let me talk to the old man, because I had something particular to say to him. I was panting and rowing so hard, that I couldn’t tell the fellows then. Anyway, I guess Pee-wee had that house haunted and filled with German spies and Uncle Jimmy murdered and goodness knows what all.
We pulled up right alongside the tug-boat and I called out to the old man that I wanted to tell him something and to please let me come up. I was all trembling, but anyway, I said it right out and I didn’t wait for him to say yes, because he was too busy saying other things to say it.